1. Field of the Invention
Methods and apparatuses consistent with the present invention relate to a streaming server and a streaming client, and more particularly, to a method and device for switching a media renderer to another media renderer while a client performs streaming playback of the content of a server.
2. Description of the Related Art
As ubiquitous environments have become more widespread, watching media or content at any place has become more desirable. Correspondingly, as the use of personal portable terminal devices have become popular and streaming of content in a remote server is possible, the user can use the content at various places by using various playback devices (hereinafter referred to as ‘renderers’).
As users travel over a wide distance, they may wish to switch renderers during playback of media or content. As shown in FIG. 1, a user watches a motion picture 102 using a mobile phone 103 while moving and switches from the mobile phone 103 to a digital television (DTV) 104 in a living room after arriving at home.
The user, who arrived at home while watching the motion picture 102 transmitted from the streaming server 101, need not watch the motion picture 102 through the mobile phone 103 since the DTV 104 which has a high image quality can be used. Accordingly the user may want to continue to watch the rest of the motion picture through the DTV 104 in the living room because the motion picture 102 output from DTV 104 has a higher image quality than that from the mobile phone 103, or because of a communication fee, or the limited battery capacity of the mobile phone 103 and the like.
The user terminates a streaming connection for the motion picture 102 that is viewed through the mobile phone 103 after arriving at home. Then the user searches for the motion picture 102 in a media server 101 through the DTV 104 in the living room which is a new renderer. The user may search for the motion picture 102 which has a format suitable for the DTV screen through the media server 101 or through another media server. The user has to do additional operations after finding the motion picture 102 to be streamed and played. That is, the user has to set up a screen ratio for playing the motion picture 102, volume information, and the like. The user has to determine the playback position of the motion picture 102 before arriving at home and request streaming playback of the motion picture 102 from the determined playback position.
In addition, an opposite operation may occur. That is, when the user has to go out because of a sudden appointment while watching a sports broadcast through the DTV 104 in the living room by a broadcast satellite service, the user may want to continue to watch the sports broadcast through the mobile phone 103. In this case, the user has to search for the motion picture 102 which has an optimized format for the mobile phone 103 through the mobile phone 103 and set up additional settings.